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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · sharp · bowl · safe · club · lean · fan · face

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. sharp — clever
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — to confront
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. hand — help
  15. club — a group
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com